the Book of Thoth
by t-me
Summary: An Egyptian myth with the characters of yugioh.


This is the result of reading too many YuGiOh fanfics and then reading a book on Egyptian Myths. (The names in brackets are the original names in the myth with the exception of Seto, which is the other way around.)

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There once was a priest who wanted to know everything. His name was Setna (Seto). He spent all his time studying, writing, copying and perfecting charms and spells. He soon became high priest and holder of the millennium rod, and yet still he studied, learning the secrets of the shadow realm. He spent so much time learning that he neglected his little brother, the only family he had save for his cousin, the Pharaoh.

There was another high priest, Akunadin the holder of the millennium eye, who was jealous of Setna. For Setna was much younger then him and yet still knew more then he could ever hope to. So in jealousy he set a trap. He knew of Setna's thirst for knowledge so one day he went to him and asked, "Would you like to learn more? Would you like to have a thousand times more knowledge then you have now?"

" I seek to know everything" Setna replied.

"I can tell you where the greatest source of knowledge lies."

"Where?"

"In the Book of Thoth. In his great book the god of knowledge has written down everything that is known. In his book is recorded the number of stars and their journeys. Incantations to control winds and rivers are written there. Some pages are written in the languages of the birds, others in the word of animals. If you know the spells written in the book of Thoth you can control the stars, control the winds and waterfalls and communicate with all creatures."

Setna could hardly believe what he was hearing, the book of all the knowledge of the world. But Setna was, quite obviously, not stupid and asked, "Why tell me this? Where is the book?"

"The Book is in the Tomb of Shadii (Neferkaptath), it lies there in a chamber deep under the earth, a chamber lit only by the eternal radiance of the Book"

Now Setna knew why the other priest didn't get the book. Not many deared enter the city of the dead. Setna knew he had to get permission from the pharaoh or else the protective charms would activate and he would not even get near it.

He went to the pharaoh. "Cousin, I have a request. I wish to be allowed to enter the tomb of Shadii and gaze upon the Book of Thoth. Even one page would quench my raging thirst for knowledge."

The pharaoh was reluctant but he knew his cousin was stubborn and would not be swayed. Only a brave man, or someone as determined as Setna, would go deep under the earth and walk the dark streets of the city of the dead. Even the workmen were afraid when they were ordered to find the wooden door of the tomb.

They found it lying hidden in the sand, unsealed it and hurried away. Setna lit a torch and entered the tomb, leaving the burning heat to go into the cool musty dark. He went on, deeper and deeper into the tomb.

He was deep inside when he saw what looked like daylight. But he knew this couldn't be as he was a great way underground by now. He turned one last corner and entered a chamber. The light was radiating from the alter in the centre of the chamber, from the Book of Thoth. The Book threw the light of a thousand torches, filling the chamber, so that Setna did not at first see the quietly glowing ka's of Isis (Anhur), wife of Shadii and of her son Malik (Merb).

The chamber was beautifully decorated and filled with all manner of treasures and items that would be needed in the afterlife but Setna ignored all of it heading straight for the Book.

"Why have you come here?"

Setna stopped, looking for the source of the voice. "Why have you come?" It was then that he realised that the voice had come from the ka of Isis. But something was wrong, ka's usually stay with the body and there was only the body of the pharaoh Shadii in the tomb.

Setna ignored this and answered proudly "I am a scholar, a magician and a high priest and I have come with permission of my cousin, the pharaoh Atem, to read the Book of Thoth." (Ramesses)

Isis spoke again "Do not ever seek to read the Book of Thoth. Go back the way you have come before any harm comes to you, as harm came to me, my son and my husband. I will tell our story to you as a warning."

Setna sat as the glowing Ka looked on sadly. "My husband lies here in this tomb because of the Book of Thoth. Because of the Book he, I and our son no longer live together in the bright air. Because my husband was like you; he wanted to know all things. He spent many days and nights in libraries and temples, studying secret writing and learning deep inscriptions. Though long study he eventually learned a great secret. The location of the Book of Thoth. When I learned of this I felt a great foreboding and begged him to take me with him.

So it was that the three of us, Shadii, Malik and I, set sail for the place where he had learn contained the Book in a river. My husband was a great magician and when we came to he place where the Book was he spoke an enchantment to part the waters. There, deep in the river was a box surrounded by serpents.

Shadii hacked their heads off with his sword but they were enchanted creatures and their head reattached to their bodies. He did it again with the same result. Then he chopped the heads again but this time he put sand from the river bed in the cuts so that heads could not reattach themselves. He reached the box and dragged it to shore. The box was made of iron. Inside was another made of copper. Inside this another of juniper wood, then one of ebony, one of ivory, one of sliver then one of gold. Inside the gold box was the book of Thoth.

Shadii took the book and immediately began studying it. Soon he learned the languages of the birds and beasts. He learned to control the winds and the waters; he learned the secret names of the stars. He learned all manner of hidden mysteries and shared them with me. Together we copied spells, crumbling the fresh papyrus in beer and swallowing the incantations so that their magic would always be apart of us. We became powerful.

But Thoth is more powerful and a god, he grew angry with us and took revenge. It was swift, unexpected and merciless.

As we were sailing back from Coptas, my husband and I were dozing under the noon heat, when little Malik, who was playing on deck, fell into the Nile and drowned. No spell could bring Malik back from he dead and our grief was great.

We took him to be buried and as we were passing the same place I drank much beer to forget, then I too fell over the side and drowned. So I was buried with my child. When the boat reached home Shadii was dead, the Book in his arms. And so he is buried here with the book, while I and my son were buried in Coptas. I came here with the ka of Malik because this is the only way we will be together.

So you see, Setna, how a fierce greed for knowledge led to terrible things. Please turn back. Do not take the Book."

Setna heard her story, but still, his need for knowledge was too great. He knew now that he would take the Book and not simply be content to read it. He was confident that he could handle any dangers that came his way. He went towards the Book saying, "Your deaths are the past, the Book is my future."

He was reaching for the Book when a hollowed, stifled voice came from the casket of the pharaoh. "No, no." The body inside moved, slowly reaching out and pulling itself up. It shuffled stiffly towards Setna who was frightened but did not back down. "No" the voice said again "not theft. Do not steal like a common tomb robber, play. Play for it with Thoth's counters and maybe the gods will have mercy."

Shadii gestured to a board set up for a game of drafts and set down on one side. Setna, unable to pass up the challenge sat on the other.

Thoth had invented the game of draughts when the earth was new. He made the white circles to represent the light and day. He made the black circles to represent the dark and night. As the sun passes over the earth to banish darkness the darkness creeps back each night to banish the light. All this was represented in drafts and thus was the first shadow game.

They decided on the best two out of three. In the first match Shadii's hands and arms were unused to movement and his brain had stiffened and he could hardly remember how to play. Setna won. However Shadii had studied the book of the games creator and had learned secret strategies. The second game Setna lost and the ground opened and swallowed his legs.

Setna knew he was in trouble and would be buried alive if he lost the last game. But Setna was a great magician in his own right and had played many times with his cousin who was the king of games. Chanting counter spells, Setna eventually won the third game and the earth released him. Not wasting a second he leapt up and grabbed the Book running out of the tomb.

When he returned home and told the pharaoh the story, Atem grew troubled. He tried to warn Setna that the gods would seek revenge but he would not listen and immediately went to his room to study the Book.

Setna studied diligently and one day as he was walking outside testing his new powers he saw in front of him the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, with hair that was as pale and soft as moonlight and eyes the color of the sky in summer. He imminently sort to learn her name. She told him her name was Kisara (Tabube) and invited him for a meal the next day. The whole night Setna could only think of her, it was the first time since he had taken the Book of Thoth that he did not go over the spells inside it. Instead he could only dream of Kisara's beauty for she had placed a spell on him.

The next day Setna went to her house. "Why have you come?" she asked.

"I have fallen in love with you" he replied, "I wish to be with you, please marry me."

"Sit by me." He sat near her, bedazzled by her charms.

"I will become yours if you agree to give everything that is yours to me."

"Anything" he agreed.

"Then sign this contract." A slave came forth with a papyrus roll and Setna signed without thinking. As he finished the words of the contract caught his eye. Not only had he signed over his wealth and property but also his brother's soul. He was horrified. He looked up to protest only to discover that the house had disappeared, there was no one around and the contract had vanished.

He ran quickly back to his house and was shaken to find his brother had collapsed. There was nothing that could be done, no one could revive him. In terror he grabbed the Book of Thoth and rushed back to the tomb in the hope to appease to gods.

When Setna entered the tomb everything was just as he left. He begged the pharaoh Shadii's forgiveness as he told his tale. "It is not right for my brother to be punished for my folly. Please, is there anything I can do."

"I do not know what can be done other then to pray to lord Thoth for forgiveness."

Setna bowed his head, his heart heavy. "Then I shall bring the bodies of your wife and child to be buried with you in this tomb. Then I shall seal you in with the Book of Thoth so that none may ever take it again." Setna looked up at the softy glowing ka's of Isis and Malik "I will unite you with your family and hope that Thoth will see fit to unite me with mine."

Setna was true to his word and Shadii was reunited with his family. Setna sealed the tomb himself with a great many spells to keep the Book hidden and safe, lost for all time. When he reached his home he was overjoyed when his brother ran to meet him. As he returned his brothers hug he vowed to never let his ambitions and thirst for knowledge overwhelm him again lest he lose forever what was most important.


End file.
